CBSE Class 10 Science Notes Chapter 7

Control and Coordination

Animals- Nervous System:

• The nervous system is a system of organs that manages and organises actions in
animals. It consists of the brain, spinal cord, and a network of nerves throughout
the body. The nervous system handles sending, receiving, and processing
messages in the form of chemical signals called impulses.
• Nervous tissue is a well-organised network of nerve cells or neurons designed to
transmit information through electrical impulses. The basic unit of the nervous
system is the neuron, which has three parts: the cell body (cyton), branched
projections (dendrites), and a long process leading from the cell body (axon).
 • A synapse is a link between two neurons. Nerves, which are strands of tissue
extending from the brain and spinal cord, play a crucial role in conveying
messages throughout the body and branching out to all regions.
• Neurons come in various shapes and sizes. The brain or spinal cord receives
messages from sense organs through sensory nerves. Motor neurons relay
messages from the brain or spinal cord to all the body’s muscles and glands.
• An interneuron or relay neuron is a specific type of neuron connecting neurons
in different parts of the central nervous system.
CBSE Important Questions for Class 10 Science

What Happens in Reflex Actions?

• A reflex action, commonly known as a reflex, is an automatic and almost
immediate movement that happens in response to stimuli. The body produces a
reflex activity in reaction to the surroundings.
• The process of sensing a signal or input and quickly responding with an output
action is possible. This connection is termed a reflex arc. Despite the input
information reaching the brain, reflex arcs are formed in the spinal cord. In
higher animals, most sensory neurons don’t go straight to the brain; instead, they
connect in the spinal cord. For a speedy response, a reflex arc remains more
effective.
Human Brain

Types of the Nervous System

The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system are the two parts of the
nervous system.

Central Nervous System:

• The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord. It gets
information from the body and sends instructions to certain organs. The brain
has three main parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain.
• The thinking part of the brain is the forebrain, which consists of the cerebrum
and diencephalon. The cerebrum holds memory, intelligence, and senses like
hearing, smell, and sight. The diencephalon deals with pressure and discomfort.
• The midbrain links the forebrain to the hindbrain and manages vision and
hearing reflexes. The hindbrain is made up of the cerebellum, pons, and medulla.
The cerebellum coordinates muscle actions and keeps balance and posture.
• The medulla oversees involuntary functions like blood pressure, salivation,
vomiting, and heart rate. The spinal cord is shielded by the vertebral column and
runs from the brain’s medulla through the backbone.

Peripheral Nervous System:

The cranial and spinal nerves emerge from the brain and spinal cord, respectively, to form
the peripheral nervous system.
What Safeguards are in Place for the Tissues?

The skull provides strong protection for the brain, and there’s a fluid called cerebrospinal
fluid that absorbs extra shock.
What is the Mechanism by Which the Nervous System Causes Action?

When a nerve message gets to muscle fibres, they need to move. The shape of muscle cells
changes, causing them to get shorter. Special proteins in the muscles alter their shape and
arrangement in response to electrical signals from nerves. This results in the muscle cells
taking on a new shape due to the changes in protein groupings.

• Plant Response: Every living thing reacts to its environment. Chemicals

released by cells aid plants in responding to stimuli. Plants, just like all living
creatures, show movement. There are two types of plant movement: one linked
to growth and another unrelated to it.
• Plants utilise electrical and chemical methods to share information between
cells. However, plants lack specific tissue solely for information transmission.
The response to stimuli in plants is gradual, occurring through directed growth.
This directional growth creates the illusion that the plant is in motion.
• Directional Movements: Tropic movements are also called directional
movements. These movements can go toward or away from the stimuli.
• Shoots responding to light by bending toward it have positive phototropism.
Shoots growing away from the earth exhibit negative geotropism.
• Negative phototropism happens when roots bend away from light. They show
positive geotropism as they grow toward the ground.
• Hydrotropism is a growth response where water stimuli determine the growth
direction.
• Chemotropism is the growing movement of a plant part in response to a
chemical input.
• Thigmotropism refers to plant parts moving in response to touch. They have
positive thigmotropism when moving toward touch and negative thigmotropism
when moving away from touch.
• Pollen tubes grow toward the ovules.
• Hormones are chemical molecules released by activated cells. They circulate
throughout the cell. They are made far from the point of action and then spread
to the point of action. Different plant hormones help coordinate growth,
development, and environmental reactions. Auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, and
abscisic acid are some hormones released by plants.
• Auxins are hormones produced at the tip of the stem. They help the plant grow
by elongating the cells and promoting shoot apical dominance. Gibberellins are
hormones that boost stem growth, seed germination, bolting, and blooming.
• Cytokinins are hormones found in regions where cells divide quickly, like fruits
and seeds. They also encourage stomata to open.
• Abscisic acid is a hormone that slows growth in many body regions. It also closes
stomata, and its side effects include leaf withering.
• Animal Hormones: The endocrine system consists of glands without tubes, and
these glands release chemical substances called hormones. These hormones go
straight into the blood from the endocrine glands. Hormones are like messengers
in the blood, affecting certain organs.
The endocrine system consists of glands without tubes, and these glands release
substances called hormones. These hormones go straight into the blood from the glands.
Hormones are like messengers in the blood and affect certain organs.

Adrenal Glands:
Adrenal glands are found above the kidneys. The adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla are
two parts of the adrenal gland.
 • The adrenal cortex releases cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens. Meanwhile, the
adrenal medulla releases adrenaline and noradrenaline. Adrenaline is also called
the “fight or flight” hormone or the “emergency hormone.” It readies the body for
handling physical stress during urgent moments, like danger, anger, or
excitement.

Thyroid Gland:
• The thyroid gland is a big hormone-producing gland in the body, located in the
neck, below the voice box. It makes two important hormones: triiodothyronine
and thyroxine. Thyroxine manages how the body uses glucose, protein, and fat.
• Iodine is needed to create thyroxine. If there’s not enough iodine in the diet, it
can lead to a condition called goitre, which shows up as a swollen neck.

Pituitary Gland:
• The pituitary gland is like the boss gland that produces different hormones to
control organs and other glands. It sits near the bottom of the brain. This gland
releases hormones such as growth hormone, TSH, FSH, LH, ACTH, MSH,
Vasopressin, and Oxytocin.
• The growth hormone manages the body’s growth and development. If there’s not
enough of it during childhood, it can lead to dwarfism. On the other hand, too
much of this hormone can cause gigantism.

Gonads:
Female gonads and male gonads are the two types of gonads found in humans.

Female Gonads:
• Oestrogen and progesterone are hormones made by the ovaries. Oestrogen
controls changes linked to puberty, like a woman’s voice, smooth skin, and the
growth of mammary glands.
• Progesterone manages changes in the uterus during the menstrual cycle and
helps sustain pregnancy.
Male Gonads:
• In males, a pair of testes constitutes the gonads.
• These testes are the male sex organs located outside the belly in the scrotum.
• The hormone testosterone is made by the testes.
• Testosterone controls the changes that happen during puberty, like a deeper
voice, the growth of the penis, and the increase of facial and body hair.

The Pancreas:
• The pancreas is located below the stomach, in the curve of the duodenum. It has
two jobs: one is to release substances outside the body (exocrine), and the other
 is to release substances inside the body (endocrine). The pancreas makes
hormones like insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide.
• Insulin is important because it manages the sugar levels in our blood. If there’s
not enough insulin, it can lead to high blood sugar and cause diabetes mell

The Pineal Gland:

• The pineal gland produces melatonin, a hormone found near the middle of the
brain, above the diencephalon.
• Melatonin affects things like reproductive growth, sleep-wake cycles, and
seasonal activities.

The Hypothalamus:
• The hypothalamus is a part of the brain that links the nervous and hormonal
systems through the pituitary gland. This gland releases hormones such as
Somatostatin and Dopamine.

Parathyroid Glands:
• There are two sets of tiny oval-shaped glands found on the back of the thyroid
gland in the neck, and they are called parathyroid glands.
• These glands produce a hormone known as parathormone, which helps manage
calcium and phosphate ions in both the bones and blood.
• When there is too little secretion, it can lead to tetany, and when there is too
much secretion, it can result in osteoporosis.

The Thymus Gland:

• The thymus gland can be found in the upper part of the breastbone, in front of
the heart. It makes a hormone called thymosin and helps T-lymphocytes grow
up.
• The testes make the hormone testosterone.
• Systems for feedback manage how many hormones are released and when. For
instance, if blood sugar levels go up, cells in the pancreas notice and make more
insulin. When blood sugar levels drop, insulin release goes down.
The Nervous System
The nervous system collaborates with various organs to transmit electrical signals from
the brain to different body parts. Neurons within the nervous system act as a working
and structural component of the system.

Neuron
Neurons have three main parts: dendrites, Cyton, and Axon. Dendrites receive impulses
from other neurons. Cyton processes the impulses received by dendrites. After Cyton
processes the impulse, Axon transfers it to another neuron, muscle, or glands, depending
on what is needed.
Axon comes in two types: myelinated and unmyelinated. In myelinated neurons, the
transfer of impulses is faster.

Different Parts of the Brain and their Importance

• Cerebrum: This part manages thinking, feelings, talking, reasoning, memory,
and how we sense sounds and tastes. If it doesn’t work right, a person might
have trouble hearing or speaking.
• Cerebellum: Even though the names might seem alike, they’re different brain
parts. The cerebellum is in charge of how we move – walking, running, sitting,
keeping our balance, and our posture.
• Pons: Think of the pons as the brain’s messenger. It helps signals move from the
back of the brain to the front part.
• Medulla Oblongata: This part controls things our body does automatically, like
vomiting, sneezing, and yawning. It’s also linked to the spinal cord, which runs
down the back and oversees reflex actions.
Different Types of Nervous System
In Class 10 Chapter 7 science, we learn about three different types of nervous systems,
and all of them are explained in detail in this section.

Central Nervous Systems (CNS)

The notes of Chapter 7 Science Class 10 from Vednatu adequately describe how the CNS,
the part of our human body, is made from the spinal cord and brain.

The CNS is protected by 3 main layers:

• The bony skull (cranium)

• The cerebrospinal fluid
• The meninges (Dura mater, Arachnoid and Pia mater)
Peripheral Nervous System
These are the nerves released by the brain and spinal cord for the human peripherals to
function and communicate with the brain. This nervous system includes 12 cranial nerves
and 31 spinal nerves.

Somatic Nervous System

The somatic nervous system is located in certain areas of the peripheral nervous system.
It consists of nerves that manage all the actions we choose to do on our own.

Autonomic Nervous System

The final part in the notes about control and coordination in Class 10 is the ANS, or
autonomic nervous system. This system brings together all the nerves in charge of actions
the body does automatically. The ANS is split into two sections: the sympathetic and
parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic side readies the body for strenuous
activity and is the one that decides whether to fight or flee.

Synapse
A synapse is a connection point for neurons, where they share information using electric
signals. It acts like a link between a neuron and a gland or muscle in the human body. If
synapses are not present in neurons and muscles, the transfer and receipt of electric
signals won’t happen. This leads to a lack of muscle movement, causing it to stay
unchanged indefinitely.

Reflex Action
When a soccer ball is rushing toward you at high speed, you instinctively lower yourself
and let the ball go over you. You do this without even thinking twice; that’s what a reflex
action is. It helps protect you from sudden accidents and injuries. As per the notes in
Chapter 7 of Class 10 science, a reflex action is a sudden action the body does in response
to stimuli. The pathway used for the electrical impulse to carry out the reflex action is
called a reflex arc.

On the flip side, the parasympathetic nervous system operates in the exact opposite
manner. It makes your body feel calm and slows down many of its high-functioning parts.

CBSE Class 10 Science Notes Chapter 7

Important Topics
The Class 10 Science Revision Notes for Chapter 7 on Control and Coordination include
all the subjects discussed in the chapter. These notes aim to assist students in
understanding different control and coordination methods without making it too
complicated. Below, we have listed all the crucial topics that are important for exams.

Topics

Subtopics

7.1 – Animals – Nervous System

1. What Happens in Reflex Actions?

2. Human Brain
3. How are these Tissues Protected?
4. How Does the Nervous Tissue Cause Action?
7.2 – Coordination in Plants

1. Immediate Response to Stimulus

2. Movement Due to Growth
7.3 – Hormones in Animals